Big Mikes BBQ

Big Mike’s BBQ is a true local gem, born and raised right here in the area. What started as Big Mike cooking for friends and family has grown into a brick-and-mortar spot in Mills River that still treats you like family the moment you walk in. The BBQ is the real deal. Juicy chicken, tender brisket, pulled pork, and ribs done right, plus fun options like BBQ nachos and tacos if you want to mix it up. Portions are generous and everything tastes like it was made with pride. Bonus points for the laid-back vibe and classic beer options. Yes, Busch Light is on tap. If you want great BBQ, friendly service, and a place that feels genuinely local, Big Mike’s BBQ is absolutely worth the stop.

I have been meaning to eat here for a while and finally made it! It was a packed house when we arrived but didn't have to wait. The servers were all great. Sweet. Personable. Heyyy people that don't hate thier job! That says something. I got the combo plate with pulled chicken, pulled pork, a roll, potato salad, French fries, Classic sweet BBQ sauce and Carolina Red sauce. I also got to try the tator tots and Cole slaw. Everything was great! The pulled chicken was my favorite. It's seasoned a bit and tender. It was super yummy! Classic BBQ sauce was also very good. Definitely worth eating here! One thing I'd note: To add a hook in the women's bathroom. Other wise no complaints. Keep up the hard caring work you are doing. It shows. We will be back!

Best meal I have had in a while! I tried their pulled smoked chicken, which was absolutely amazing. Their potato salad... best I've ever had, as well as their vinegary delicious greens! They top that off with a roll and a sip of some refreshing iced tea. RUN, don't walk, to BIG MIKES! 🔥😋🔥❗

Exceptional high quality smokehouse. Thee best chicken wings in the Western Carolina region. Get the wings dry with the signature Alabama white dipping sauce. Best collard greens I’ve ever had in my life (I order them by the quart) This is southern soul food with a fantastic backyard kick in the ass.

Great BBQ as always with new indoor space for eating in or take out. Cozy indoor feel and vibe with full bar menu. Rear outdoor patio and seating available. By far the BBQ ribs, wings, pulled pork, and daily specials were always a fan favorite but now the brick/mortar restaurant and bar drinks help really make this place standout. Cheers!

I ordered the pulled chicken sandwich with potato salad and jalapeño cornbread. The Force was strong with the flavors—savory, smoky, and filling. The staff kept my iced tea topped off like true masters of hospitality. ⚠️ One small disturbance in the sauce quadrant: not all of their sauces are the traditional thick BBQ you might expect. The one I chose turned out more liquid-style—unexpected, and honestly, a touch disappointing when I was hoping for that classic sticky glaze. A heads-up when ordering it, would have been appreciated. Would I return? Absolutely. Just next time I’ll choose my sauce as carefully as a Padawan choosing their kyber crystal.

We were there 2 nites ago. Good food, service, bright atmosphere. We will be back. We knew the food from the food truck, so happy they've opened restaurant. Also know what they did for our community after Helene so I'd support them no matter what. But it was a good meal.

Wow! Drove by Mike’s many times and always wanted to try it out. We decided to have dinner there, and was impressed! The smell of perfectly smoked meat was intoxicating, and the smoked chicken wings were on point!! We shared two meat plater with two sides. The portions were generous, and delicious. The Vibe was great too! The service was amazing.. Can’t wait to go back!

1st the food is always good, it never disappoints. 2nd great choices all the time, he does BBQ right 3rd and probably my next biggest reason to support Big Mike's business is after the hurricane they were feeding people for free and just taking tips. Big Mike's was the only business I saw doing this for the people in the area. I cannot wait for the day his indoor business opens. Thank you for all you do for the locals.

WOW !! Great guy. Great place. Great food ! This is a must stop when in the area. You gotta find and talk to Big Mike Super personality and obviously a man who knows his cookers. Thank you Big Mike for some of the best Brisket I've ever tasted. See you again soon Picture of Big Mike and Little Eddie

The food was good but I had to give it a 3 star because I ordered 2 orders of hush puppies for $6.50 for a total of 10 hush puppies. Gotta do better than that.

Good. Just try it. On Tuesdays they make smoked meatloaf. Heaven on a plate. 'Niff said.

Big Mike's BBQ is an outdoor seating (picnic benches with shade umbrellas) food establishment in southeastern North Carolina in Mills River. Operated out of a medium sized food trailer in a permanent location, Big Mike has his smokers and "grills" next to the trailer and a good sized storage shed next to those. Having visited twice, I've tried the pulled pork sandwich and just today went back to try the half-rack of ribs "dinner plate" with two sides and a roll. As the sandwich was on my first visit, the ribs today (6/29/24) were outstanding. Exceptional flavor, not overcooked, the meat was loose on the bones, not shrunken away from the bones. There are numerous choices for sauce, appropriately served on the side. Tater tots were good because tots always are. The "smoked" baked beans were excellent. I mean: Them beans were REAL good! The staff were friendly and service was quick, considering there is usually a short line and the place is small, 4 staff maximum. Mike is a very nice man and he likes to talk BBQ. This is a bit more than I typically spend for a casual solo dinner (+15% tip) but this BBQ is not typical. Well worth it. Great food, great experience. Every carnivore owes themselves a visit to Big Mike's.

It smells soooo good when you pull into the parking lot. This was my first visit but definitely won't be my last. The hush puppies are perfect, brown and crunchy outside and tender inside. The brisket bbq is wonderful, the brisket was tender and the sauce had a sweet and spicy kick to it - absolutely loved it. You can call and order ahead, they also have tables and chairs outside as well. They even take care of a sweet orange kitty.

Very very good! Pulled pork and chicken excellent. One suggestion Mike, ordered the nachos which were great, would suggest maybe 1/2 the queso cheese. The order was drowning, would have enjoyed your homemade chips more. Keep up the great food!

An amazing lunch stop at Big Mikes today! Brisket and pulled pork with Bourbon sauce were perfection. Fried okra was the best I've had and the turnip greens as well. I want to go back and try everything on the menu!

Food and service was fantastic. Was impressed with the quality and freshness of the sides. The Banana Pudding was also very good, with lots of fresh banana slices. All the meat was flavorful and tender. This was a late lunch with my bride of 42 years on her Birthday, quite a successful lunch date !!!

I'm a fan! Stopped by this food truck on the way to Brevard from Asheville based on proximity and reading the Yelp reviews! Was not disappointed. I got the pulled pork plate with two sides - I chose hush puppies and the mac & cheese. The hearty serving of pork was tender, juicy, and magically disappeared in a flash. The hush puppies were delicious. The mac & cheese was a bit grainy and not quite as flavorful as I was hoping it would be. My friend ordered the brisket, fried okra, and mac & cheese. She ate all of the brisket and shared the heaping helping of fried okra with me. My oh my was that okra tasty as all get out. The woman taking our order was efficient and knowledgeable about the menu. There are some picnic tables with big umbrellas off to the side by a nice green area so we enjoyed our amazing meal on site. The food truck shares a parking lot with a laundromat, but who cares? The food was great and we enjoyed our meal in a grassy area on a beautiful spring day. I call that an all around win for this girl from Phoenix.

Big Mike's BBQ is a new food trailer permanently situated in the heart of Mills River, adjacent to a laundry and barber shop just east of the intersection of 280 and Haywood Rd. In the short time they have been open we've visited them twice and tried a variety of things on their menu. They have one patio table next to the trailer for seating and there are also a couple of picnic tables by the street, but I'd suggest getting the food to-go and heading just down the road to the picnic areas at Mills River Park. I opted for the brisket sandwich both times to gauge consistency and found it to be excellent both times. My wife commented that their wings are the best wings she's had anywhere and the pulled chicken had great flavor albeit was a little dry. Had a sample of the pulled pork which I though was a little light on flavor (more smoke than spices) but was plenty moist. Of the sides the baked beans was our favorite as it is more like a chili baked beans. Mac 'n Cheese was least favorite as the cheese was of a powdery consistency. Fries are crinkle-cut and plenty crunchy and the potato salad appeared to be of a southern yellow mustard recipe. They have 5 different BBQ sauces, one of which only comes on the brisket. The rest are a traditional thick Sweet BBQ sauce, a thin teriyaki-based bourbon sauce, and a pair of mustard vinegar and eastern vinegar choices. The mustard vinegar went well with the pulled chicken. Overall Big Mike's is looking like our favorite BBQ stop in the greater Asheville area, second maybe only to Haywood but I still have to try the ribs before I can make that call.

Went today after reading all the great reviews. We ordered brisket sandwiches, fries and slaw. The brisket was tough throughout, obviously not slow-cooked. The fries were way over-salted. To make things worse, the coleslaw was at room temperature. Coleslaw needs to stay refrigerated at all times! The meat was so bad neither of us finished our sandwiches. We tossed the coleslaw. Their pulled pork and chicken may be great, but I would stay away from the brisket.

The rack of ribs alone is earning Big Mike's BBQ five stars. That is some moist and flavorful fall-off-the-bone tenderness. The brisket sandwich is ok but I found the pulled pork to be a bit dry. When it comes to the sides, I love their potato salad and their slaw. The fried okra and tater tots are good but salty; the mac and cheese is fine. Try the banana pudding! Service is super friendly; check 'em out if you're in the area.

My husband and I eat here every time we are in town. I have the barbecue chicken breast and my husband has the pulled pork. Both are out of this world yummy! There are several sides to choose from to add to your meal and they have barbecue salmon and meatloaf some days. This is definitely an unexpected treasure!

One of the best BBQ joints that spots the great state of NC. Food truck set-up, smoker in the rear, with a cord or two in the waiting. Basic suspects on the menu, from pulled pork, ribs, wings, chicken, baked beans, coleslaw... you get the drift. It's very good... just enough smoke that gets one tantalizing for more. Sauces are generous and yummy, no matter what your NC/SC preference is.

Big Mike's Brisket is the BOMB!!!!! Have had it several times, and crave it - Brisket BBQ- YYYAAASSSS!!!!

Had a great pulled pork sandwich and pulled pork plate - loved the fried okra and tater tots

The BBQ pork sandwich was amazing! The Best Pork Sandwich in AshvilleThe pork melted in your mouth and the sauce was perfect

Was told about this place by a friend, we had the slop bucket & chicken nachos, by far some of the most amazing BBQ we've ever had. And honestly two of the best meals we've ever had. If you think for a second this is just your run of the mill food truck, you are wrong. Will absolutely be back!

We were having some people over for a birthday party. Wanted something besides pizza or the usual food. A friend suggested Big Mike's. We got pulled pork, chicken, mac & cheese, fries, and beans. The sides were amazing. The pork with the sweet bbq and eastern vinegar sauces, some of the best any of us has ever had. The chicken, was the best of all. Such a delicious flavor. No sauce or anything extra needed. It was ready when we got there to pick it up and everything was perfect. And, the price for all this food was surprisingly fair and certainly worth it. There are several places to get bbq in South Asheville and Hendersonville. This is the best place at the best price.

Very small food truck. Dropped by there there people were in line and had an open sign on but no one was there to man the food truck. I've heard good things about the place but it seems to be understaffed as well. The folks in line finally left as no one was there to serve them even though the truck was open

Listen to your stomach..."I want BBQ! I want real-deal, smoked on the premises, piled high, pork bbq! And I want delicious sauces and fresh Cole slaw! I want BIG MIKE'S BBQ! Lez Go!" Listen to your stomach...

I have been meaning to stop by Big Mike's for several months. I finally did it today. I live about 4 miles from Mike's parking spot. I ordered a brisket sandwich. It was ok. It would have been better if it did not have any sauce on it. I will go by there again later and try something else.

We live locally and have stopped by several times. Pulled pork is delicious, as is the brisket. As far as sides go, the mac and cheese and beans were very good. My son had the banana pudding but it was gone before I got a chance to sample it. All around a great addition to the Mills River community!

No Question Mikes wings are the most original and the absolutely the best experience anywhere.. They were so good I felt it was my responsibility to share to show others what real taste was all about. . Great size and Mikes special coating makes it have a great creation. Far more than a piece of fried chicken, dipped in sauce, they are terrific. Tell Mike that Jerry sent you and he will treat you like a king or queen just like he does everyone else

This place was amazing. The food is delicious and the helpings are huge. My husband and I should have split a meal. Great place to eat. Highly recommend.